Rolling Stones’ ‘Train Song’, Early ‘All About You’ (1977)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on January 5, 2026

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Rolling Stones unreleased: Train Song

Before All About You closed Emotional Rescue in 1980, it existed in a far more fragile state, under the working title Train Song. Born during the restless Some Girls sessions in Paris, this early version captures the Rolling Stones at an emotional crossroads. Stripped of polish and bravado, the track leans heavily on Keith Richards’ weary, unguarded vocal, revealing a side of the band rarely exposed at the time. It’s intimate, unresolved, and quietly devastating — a snapshot of vulnerability surfacing amid chaos, and the blueprint of a sad ballad that would later find its final form.

*Early version of All About You
Written by: Jagger/Richards
Recorded: EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France, Oct. 10-Nov. 29 and Dec. 6-15, 1977 (Some Girls sessions)

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rolling stones unreleased train song 1977

Unearthing a Forgotten Track: The Rolling Stones’ Train Song

Before All About You became the poignant closer of the Rolling Stones’ 1980 album Emotional Rescue, its roots had already begun to take form under a different name — Train Song. Recorded during the prolific Some Girls sessions at EMI Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris between October and December of 1977, this unreleased track captures a raw, transitional moment for the band. The studio itself, tucked away in Boulogne-Billancourt, became a temporary creative refuge where Jagger and Richards, despite personal and professional turbulence, explored new sonic directions.

The song reveals the early emotional blueprint of All About You, showing the vulnerable undercurrent that would later define the final version. With Keith Richards at the emotional helm, it reflects a stripped-down, almost confessional mood — miles away from the swaggering rock ‘n’ roll energy the band was best known for. In its unreleased form, Train Song is a haunting echo of what was to come.

The Genesis of a Sad Ballad

Though officially credited to Jagger/Richards, Train Song bears the unmistakable emotional fingerprints of Keith Richards alone. It’s a ballad that doesn’t boast — it broods. The recording is sparse, possibly unfinished, yet it carries a weight that hints at fractured relationships and internal tension. By the time All About You saw the light of day in 1980, it had morphed into a fully fleshed-out farewell letter — some say to Anita Pallenberg, others to Mick Jagger himself. But Train Song, in its ghostly form, remains a fascinating glimpse into the emotional and musical evolution of the Stones during a transformative era.

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